Load weighing device



Jan. 4, 1949. A. c. RUGE LOAD WEIGHING DEVICE Filed Sept. 1. 1944 INVENTOR Patented Jn. 4, 1949 LOAD WEIGHING DEVICE Arthur C. Ruse, Cambridge, Mass., assignor to The Baldwin Locomotive Works, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 1, 1944, Serial No. 552326 l This invention relates generally to load or force measuring means and more particularly to such a device known as a load weighing plug or cell.

Devices of this kind are useful in a great many applications where a load is to be weighed or a compression force is to be measured and it is particularly applicable to portable uses because of its relatively light weight although it is also useful in permanent installations such as platform scales, rolling mills where the load is transmitted to the rolls through a screw, or in weigh cars as well as many other applications. Many different forms of such devices have heretofore been proposed and used, some of which are of the solid plug type in which the expansion of the plug in response to an axial load thereon is used .to determine the load. In other instances, multiple column type plugs have been used in order to minimize the effects of undesired forces such as torsion of shear forces. These devices as well as others have very serious objections either functionally, structurally or economically as is wellknown to those skilled in the art.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved load weighing device which minimizes the eifect of undesired forces in a relatively simple and effective manner while still maintaining v a high degree of accuracy, sensitivity and respon- 4 whereby as a result of this strength of the shell it is adapted to prevent the transmission of eccentric loads or other undersirable forces from the heads .to the single weighing column. The single column may be formed separately from the heads or as an integral part thereof which is well-known in the art insofar as a weighing column with heads is concemed as shown in Patent No. 2,327,935, but which of course does not v have my novel load shuntiig means. This means is preferably a shell of either circular or square cross-section although other forms of such means may be used. certain of which among other equivalent forms are illustrated herein. The functional and structural relatlons between this 6 Claims. '(Cl. 73--141) outer load shunting means and the sensitive weighing column are such that I overcome the many disadvantages of the multiple column type weighing plug which requires transmitting the entire axial load through the weighing columns thereby necessitating a thin flexible diaphragm for laterally stabilizing the weighing columns as well as involving many mechanical and economic problems. The principle of resisting undesired forces by a heavy member which actually shunts a part of the load to be weighed around the sensitive column may, of course, be used with several columns if desired. The column or columns are, in efiect, load index means in that they and the gages are calibrated on the basis of the total load weighed even though they carry less than the total.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a partial longitudinal sectional view through my improved plug;

Figs. 2 and 3 are horizontal sections of modied arrangements for resisting undesired forces and carrying a part of the load.

In the particular embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, I have shown my improved load weighing plug as consisting of upper and lower relatively heavy and preferably circular heads l and 2 between which a single centrally located load weighing column 3 is disposed preferably of square cross-section although any other suitable shape of cross-section may be used. The

lower end of the column and the upper surface of head 2 are preferably lapped and are secured together by screw i or other suitable means. In this specific arrangement, the upper end of the column and the undersurface 5 of head I are not Secured together but instead have an abutting lapped contact with each other. An outer straight shell 5 of preferably circular and closed circumferential form has relatively heavy fiangelike ends 'l and 8 which are preferably continuously circumferentially welded to the heads and 2 at the corners 9 so that no relative movement occurs between each head and the shell at the points of connection. In addition, such welding together with the complete circumferential closure of the shell provides a hermetic seal if service conditions so require such as extremes of climate, or even submersion in water. The electrical connectlons to be described would be, of course, hermetically sealed in a well-known manner. The intermediate portion of the shell I is prererably about 1%" &458.431

3 thick tor a 3".inslde diameter and a 5%" overall length designed for 40,000 pounds capacity. Instead of a closed shell. three or more partial circumfe-entia or flat portions sa may be used or individual vertical hollow or solid struts sl of circular or other cross-sectional form may be employed. The whole of the material' is preferably made of any suitable alloy heat treated steel, although other metals can be used depending upon the load capaclty and severity ot service.

strain gages o are placed upon the weighing column 3 preierably at an intermediate portion thereoi to ellminate end effects o! the column -in a manner well-known in the art. These gages are preterably of the bonded resistance wire type disclosed in Simmons Patent 2,292,549,

although other well-known impedance-sensitlve gages such as electromagnetic gages, etc., may be used if desired. The gages may extend vertically on two of the diametrically opposite sides elements and Secured thereto Sothat. relative movement does not'occur; between each'ofethe,

of the square column 3 while otherga'ges ll'may extend transversely. In order to obtain maximum .sensitivity and temperature compensation as disclosed in my Patent 2,322,319, these gages as well as any other electrical impedance type gages may be suitably connected in a measuring circuit shown forexample in various patents referred to herein. .The lead wires for these gages maylex'tend through an openings I! in shell 6 and any suitable screw holes l3 may be weighing means disposed between said elements and adapted to transmlt an axial load from one element to the other, and substantialiy axially extending means connected directly to said -inilexible elements for rigidly connecting the same together to resist entirely through said -axial means transmission of undesired forces !rom said elements to the weghing means but at the same time transmit only a part of the load to be weighed while the remainder of the load is transmitted through said load weighing means which is calibrated to serve as an index tor 'the entire load.

2. The combination set f'orth in claim' 1 !urther characterized in that said load weighing means has a column disposed between said inflexible elements to'transmit load from 'ozto the other and is provided with strain responsive means thereon, and said rgid connectingmeans compris'e's a shell extending directly between said' elements and ,the respective ends' ot the shenj'` 3. Tjhe combination set forth in Giannitur ther characterizedln that said rigid connec'tlng 'means is a shell of closed cross-section. i

4. The combinationset forth. in claim' l further characterizedfinthat said rigid ccnnecting provided in the shell for holding a conduit coupling if desired. It will of course be understobd that if it i's desired to obtain temperature compensation by a sc-called dumny gage,-'a .nonload supporting column may be inserted within the plug and secured to only one 'ofthe heads and free of the other, the principle ofwhich is disclosed in my Patent `2,344,642. However,

these various details do not constitute the.

novelty of .my present invention which is directed particularly to having the shell 6 of such strength that it will resist eccentric loading as well as angular loading (shear) and torsion. This outer shell will thereby resist these unwanted loadings and'at the same time Carry only a iraction, say A, of the vertical load on the cell which is generally applied through a spherical loading element ll.

As a result of' my improved arrangement, I

am able to make a load weighing plug which is i which 'are infiexible in all directions, load tially centrally of the load weighing means is acolumn.

5. The' combination set forth in claim l fur ther `characterized in that said rigid connecting means is a shell of closed cross-section and' the means is a shell of closed cross-section and'the` load weighing means is a column' one `end'of which has only abutting contact withone of ;the elements.

6. The combination set forth in daim: fut

ther characte'rized in that said load weig'hing means has` a single load weighing column se cured to one of said elements and has abutting contact with the other and is located substanelements. e

ARTHUR C. RUGE...

REIERENCES CITED The following references are of record in 'the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS i Number' Name Date 1,972,578 `Wallichs Sept. 4, 1934 2,050,106 Lorig et al Aug. 4, 1936 2,053,560 Janovsky Sept. 8, 1936 2,285,580 Hanson June '9, 1942 2,327,935 Simmons Aug. 24. 1943 2,330,432 Fossati Sept. 28,' 1943 2,396,916 Guthrie Mar. 19, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS i Number .Country Date A 7,524 Great Britain May 14; 1890 403.098 Great Britain Dec. 1 1, 1933 445345 Germany June 3, 1937 

